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Why 2 car-train crashes at the same crossing happened in the space of 6 hours

Okemos Rd. Train Crash

Meridian Township Police and tow trucks remove a pickup truck from the train tracks on Okemos Rd. near Gaylord C. Smith Court in East Lansing on June 5, 2014. It was the second such crash last night.
(WLNS)

EAST LANSING – Meridian Township police have a simple message for motorists in light of the two train-car crashes that occurred six hours apart at the same crossing: "Road closed" signs are there for a reason.

Late Wednesday and early Thursday, two cars got stuck at the railroad crossing on Okemos Road near Gaylord C. Smith Court. Trains hit both cars; the drivers, suspected of being intoxicated, both got out of their cars before being hit.

It's not unusual for drivers to ignore the road closed signs in that spot; they're often placed there to warn of minor flooding, said Meridian Township Police Lt. Greg Frenger.

But in this case, the signs are warning about construction that involves a hefty hole near the railroad tracks. The drivers not only ignored the road closed signs, but then the train warning signals - and then they got stuck.

Frenger said. "People are used to ignoring those signs and going around them and just having to deal with water issues.

The train crashes occurred on Okemos Rd.near Gaylord C. Smith Court in East Lansing. The area has road closed signgs that were ignored by two intoxicated drivers. Google Maps

"They'll go over the road figuring that they're safe because it's not deep," he added.

But construction near the tracks - meant to smooth out the pavement between the tracks and the road - has created a five-foot gap between the track and the road. It creates an unexpected surprise to anyone passing through, especially at night.

"I'm guessing because they were both from the area, they figured that [rain water] was the issue," Frenger said. "They went be-bopping along and found that five-foot gap between the edge of the road and the rail – and there's a 15-foot span where all the asphalt's been torn out and there's about a two-foot drop – and that's what happened to those cars."

The first incident occurred just after 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when a 37-year-old Haslett woman drove around the signs and the railroad crossing arm before her car became stuck in the gap. The woman escaped the car before an oncoming train knocked the car into a nearby propane tank. A HAZMAT team was called to ensure there was no serious gas leakage.

The second incident occurred around 4 a.m. when a 22-year-old Haslett man did the exact same thing.

Both drivers were arrested at the scene for alcohol-related offenses; neither has been arraigned.

Frenger said that the drivers were fortunate to have gotten out of their cars.

"These road closed signs are not for the same old problem," Frenger said. "This could've been very deadly.

"If you're lucky, we'll stop you and give you a warning," he added. "but if you play the odds too often, you're going to lose."